Crystal Dynamics divided some of its first-generation 3DO
titles into exclusive deals when the time came for the
PSX/Saturn conversions: the PSX got an enhanced version of
the shooter "Total Eclipse", and the Saturn got a
Saturn-exclusive sequel ("Solar Eclipse") and the title
we'll discuss today, the action/strategy game "The Horde".
The oldest 3DO title ever ported to Saturn, at its time of
release (May of 1995) this game symbolized the then-hot
meeting of Hollywood and Silicon Valley with expensive FMV
segments featuring major talent: Kirk Cameron playing
Chauncey (your alter ego) and Michael Gregory as the High
Chancellor that, grateful for being saved from certain
death by Chauncey, grants the young man an allotment of
land for him to manage. That's a step up for Chauncey, who
was raised by cows and stumbled into this relation with the
High Chancellor more or less by accident.

Most of the game is played in a 3/4 perspective similar to
that of "Captain Quazar" and "Sonic 3D Blast". Called the
Shimto Plains, Chauncey needs to encourage the development
of the region's agricultural resources of the kingdom's
five different regions. He must also impose his
Chancellor-given mandate over the communities living in
those regions in order to encourage the immigration of more
villagers who will work the fields (which will mean more
revenues in taxes for the King's coffers). Problem?
Chauncey must also protect the region from viscous red
carnivore beasts called Hordes (which look like your
typical RPG monster) that like to eat people, field crops
and cattle (the most valuable resource). So, how does this
agricultural resource management simulator for the Saturn
compare to the similarly-themed SNES game "Harvest Moon",
just recently released?

GRAPHICS / VISUALS: C-

Considering the game didn't have "WOW" factor back in the
1995 days of Jaguar and 3DO, the Saturn version just
doesn't look that hot. The 3/4" perspective has gotten a
well-deserved reputation for being tough an accurate
control, and this game is no exception. When Chauncey is
moving around slaying Hordes, the screen's choppy scrolling
is just as bad as it was on 3DO. The sprites and terrain
look a lot like an alpha version of the "Captain Quazar"
engine, with the highlight being the pile of squashed meat
that the Hordes become once they're on Chauncey's bad side.
Cartoony carnage galore!

The hammy FMV sequences, which are well acted and hilarious
all the way through, have received a slight upgrade from
the rainbow-like look of the 3DO original. Better
frame-rate, more colors, and equally-cramped letterboxing.
No game is worth buying or seeing just for FMV segments,
but "The Horde" and "Off-World Interceptor Extreme" (both
from Crystal Dynamics) are Saturn titles worthy of an
exception.

MUSIC / SOUND EFFECTS: B

Medieval tunes with a sleepy beat that fits the
period-piece perfectly, and would be quite enjoyable if the
music itself weren't such a cliche' from all the TV and
movie pieces dealing with the time period (any film set in
a medieval era); the music sounds like the one in Crystal's
"Pandemonium" on Prozac and warm milk...sleepy!

Sound effects, on the other hand, are beautiful and fit the
tasks at hand: the audio sample of Chauncey's sword
clashing against another object is reminiscent of that
heard in another Crystal D. game, "Legacy of Kain", and the
belching of the Hordes as they devour cattle and people
deserve special mention for their clarity and off-the-wall
goofiness. Since most of the time you'll be doing tasks
that require minimum audio (agricultural task management),
the audio heard through the game is just above serviceable.

GAMEPLAY / FUN FACTOR: D+

Fans of "Dragon Force" or "Command & Conquer" with time on
their hands and very little money on their pocket could
have a decent amount of fun with the wacky antics taking
place in the Shimto Plains. Chauncey starts with very
little money and life on the health bar, and only by
successfully developing the fields and fending off the
attacks of the Horde will he be able to get the human and
financial resources to plan and strategize his way to the
King's court. The five regions are different enough that
the strategy for one may not suit another. The mountain
region is filled with water resources that make it more
attractive for immigrants seeking to move and start
cultivating right away, which means Chauncey can spend more
money on the defense of the region. On the other hand, the
desert region needs a lot of water that must be acquired
either by making ponds, lakes and/or water canals between
plantations; hard work that may not yield enough resources
to encourage development and massive immigration to take
place. Other variables to consider: season-to-season
changes in the weather of each individual region (it might
be snowing in one and raining on another), the hiring of
armed Knights to protect villagers from Horde attacks, the
scarce and expensive cost of meat (the most valuable
resource), etc.

Although all of the above are nice points that sell the
game to those inclined to accept resource management games,
some of us just can't get into this type of genre and thus
no amount of features can turn us on. If you like this type
of game, "The Horde" relies on its gameplay to provide some
fun and excitement that the rudimentary visuals just can't
convey. Those of us who crave our gaming thrills elsewhere
will let the game be judged by itself.

OVERALL: C-

For $15 or a weekend, "The Horde" is a fine but dated
simulator that has a narrow appeal to a particular type of
gamer that can't get enough of quality titles like "Command
& Conquer". Is it really as lackluster and underwhelming
a 3DO port as this review makes it seem? Let me put it this
way: how many other Saturn gamers have posted reviews of
"The Horde" on this site? Exactly!